Nikon Busckmaster 3-9x50 or Bushnell Elite 4200 3.5-10x50?

[jasonprox700]

I have a chance to pick up a new Bushnell Elite 4200 3.5-10x50 for about $50 more than I can purchase a new Nikon Buckmaster 3-9x50.  Which should I go with?  I already have a Buckmaster that I am thrilled with, but I do not have any experience with the 4200.  Is the Bushnell a better buy?  How much better is the glass?  I will try to make it down to my local sporting goods store after work tomorrow night and try each out side by side.

[helotaxi]

There is no comparison, the Bushnell is far and away a better scope.  I have a Buckmaster as well and thought it was the heat until I got a Bushnell 4200.  I now have 4 4200s.

[smokey262]

+1 on the 4200 vs. BM

[jasonprox700]

How about the 4200 compared to a VariX II?

[Lloyd Smale]

again the bushnell is a higher end scope. the vair x11 and the buckmaster are more on the line of a bushnell 3200 series scope.

[JimFromTN]

Do you mean Vari XII or VXII?  They are completely different scopes.  The vari xII is now the rifleman.  I have had a buckmaster and a vari xII and I would say the vari xII is more like the prostaff than the buckmaster.  The buckmaster would be closer to a VXII but not quite as good.  The 4200 is better than all of them.  If you were comparing the 4200 to a nikon monarch then I would give the monarch a slight advantage.

If you want a great scope for a great deal, look into the nikon team primos which is basically the old nikon monarch UCC.  I have heard that if you shop around, you can get a 3-9x40 nikon team primos for $199 and the glass is considerably better than the buckmaster and is as good if not a little better than the 4200.  I do like the 2.5-10x50 power range but the 3-9x40 will be lighter and more compact and just as bright.

[helotaxi]

I compared the 2.5-10x40 E4200 against every scope in the case at Sportmans Warehouse, including some high end (and big $$$) Leupolds, Nightforces, Swarovskis and Zeisses and none of the "high-end" brands were as bright or clear until the price point was more than 3x that of the Bushnell.  I've gotten all of mine at great prices by shopping around (usually find a limited time deal for $1-200 below the going rate). 

I dropped the rifle that my 6-24x40 is mounted on and it landed directly on the scope hard enough to jump the threads on the sunshade, dent the elevation knob cover and bend the mounting rail and after I replaced the mounting base and removed and realigned the sunshade the scope itself was none the worse for wear.